Seeing turkeys roaming around the Denver metro area? Here's why
DENVER (KDVR) — Since the start of April, there have been several reports of wild turkeys across the Denver metro, but according to the Arapahoe County Government, these sightings aren't all that unusual.
The Arapahoe County Government said animal services has been receiving several reports of turkeys roaming the neighborhood, which isn't uncommon for the majority of counties in the area, especially around early spring when turkeys are in mating season.
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The government said that around this time, toms, male turkeys, gather a 'harem' of hens.
'It's completely normal, even in the city,' said Arapahoe County Animal Services Field Supervisor Alyssa Haden in the government's Facebook post.
Residents are also more likely to see turkeys in the spring and through summer because of new building developments and local turkey population growths. This population growth comes from decades of restoration efforts.
Turkeys are native to Colorado, but they weren't always so common. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, during the Great Depression, only about 30,000 turkeys existed on the continent. Around the 1980s, a restoration effort began, bringing them back into Colorado.
Over 40 years, the restoration efforts grew the population to about 40,000 turkeys across Colorado, making it the largest population in state history in 2020, according to CPW.
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While it's more likely that people are seeing more and more turkeys over the past few decades, it's also expected to see them around early spring.
The government said that, like any wildlife, if someone sees a turkey, it should be observed from a distance. People shouldn't approach, feed or follow the turkey. Meanwhile, people should keep shiny objects and bird feed out of reach as they are known to attract turkeys.
People should report concerns about injured, aggressive or sick turkeys to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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